Method and apparatus to reduce display lag of soft keyboard presses

Abstract

A method of indicating a selected at least one of keys on a keyboard of a display device, the keyboard having a layout including a plurality of keys, the method including identifying the selected at least one of the keys based on a location of the selected at least one of the keys on the keyboard of the display device, updating a rendered video frame with a stored image of the selected at least one of the keys to generate an updated video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys for displaying by the display device, the stored image of the selected at least one of the keys corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys, and while another video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys is being rendered, displaying the updated video frame by the display device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of indicating selected at least one of keys on a displayed keyboard of a display device, the displayed keyboard having a keyboard layout comprising a plurality of keys, the method comprising:
 identifying the selected at least one of the keys based on a location of the selected at least one of the keys on the displayed keyboard of the display device; 
 updating a rendered video frame with a stored image of the selected at least one of the keys to generate an updated video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys for displaying by the display device, the stored image of the selected at least one of the keys corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 while another video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys is being rendered, displaying the updated video frame by the display device, 
 wherein the updating the rendered video frame is performed utilizing a keyboard template and a keyboard mask indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys; 
 identifying a keyboard template corresponding to the keyboard layout based on input from an application software before identifying the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 displaying the another video frame by the display device after a set time has passed wherein upon passing the set time the keyboard mask change back to original state. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a keyboard template corresponding to the keyboard layout based on input from an application software before identifying the selected at least one of the keys. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifying the keyboard template comprises:
 identifying a stored keyboard template corresponding to the keyboard layout; and 
 generating the keyboard template by one or more of scaling or rotating the stored keyboard template. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the stored image of the selected at least one of the keys comprises a segment of the keyboard template corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 displaying the another video frame by the display device after a set time has passed or after detecting a change to the keyboard layout. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the detecting the change to the keyboard layout comprises determining that a current rendered video frame does not correspond to the keyboard template. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the detecting the change to the keyboard layout comprises identifying a subsequent selection of at least one of the keys. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifying the selected at least one of the keys comprises:
 detecting a location of the selected at least one of the keys on the displayed keyboard of the display device; and 
 changing at least one entry of a keyboard mask corresponding to the location of the selected at least one of the keys, 
 wherein the keyboard mask comprises a plurality of entries comprising the at least one entry, the plurality of entries corresponding to the plurality of keys. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the stored image of the selected at least one of the keys comprises a segment of the keyboard template corresponding to the changed at least one entry of the keyboard mask. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating the rendered video frame is performed utilizing a keyboard template and a keyboard mask indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected at least one of the keys comprises a functional key for prompting the display device to change from the keyboard layout of the displayed keyboard to a second keyboard layout. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying a second selection of at least one of the keys; and 
 receiving a second keyboard template corresponding to the second keyboard layout from a template buffer. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining that a current video frame does not correspond to the keyboard layout; and 
 receiving a second keyboard template corresponding to the second keyboard layout from a template buffer. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating the rendered video frame comprises substituting pixels of the rendered video frame corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys with pixels of the stored image of the selected at least one of the keys. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating the rendered video frame comprises blending pixels of the rendered video frame corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys with pixels of the stored image of the selected at least one of the keys. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying the selected at least one of the keys and updating of the rendered video frame occurs within a time span of a single video frame. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the rendered video frame from a graphics processor external to the display device. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the selected at least one of the keys comprises identifying the location of the selected at least one of the keys by a touch sensor. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed keyboard is a keyboard projected onto a surface. 
     
     
       20. A display device for indicating a selected key on a displayed keyboard, the displayed keyboard having a keyboard layout and comprising a plurality of keys, the display device comprising:
 a display unit configured to display a video frame depicting the displayed keyboard; 
 a processor; and 
 a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform, in response to selection of at least one of the keys: 
 identifying the selected at least one of the keys based on a location of the selected at least one of the keys on the displayed keyboard of the display device; 
 updating a rendered video frame with a stored image of the selected key to generate an updated video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys, the stored image of the selected key corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 while another video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys is being rendered, out-putting the updated video frame to the display unit for displaying of the updated video frame, 
 wherein the updating the rendered video frame is performed utilizing a keyboard template and a keyboard mask indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys; 
 identifying a keyboard template corresponding to the keyboard before identifying the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 displaying the another video frame by the display device after a set time has passed wherein upon passing the set time the keyboard mask change back to original state. 
 
     
     
       21. The display device of  claim 20 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the processor to perform:
 identifying a keyboard template corresponding to the keyboard before identifying the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 displaying the another video frame by the display device after a set time has passed or after detecting a change to the keyboard layout. 
 
     
     
       22. The display device of  claim 21 , wherein the detecting the change to the keyboard layout comprises determining that a current rendered video frame does not correspond to the keyboard template. 
     
     
       23. The display device of  claim 21 , wherein the detecting the change to the keyboard layout comprises identifying a subsequent selection of at least one of the keys. 
     
     
       24. The display device of  claim 23 , wherein the updating the rendered video frame comprises substituting pixels of the rendered video frame corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys with pixels of the stored image of the selected key. 
     
     
       25. The display device of  claim 20 , wherein the updating the rendered video frame comprises blending pixels of the rendered video frame corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys with pixels of the stored image of the selected key. 
     
     
       26. The display device of  claim 25 , wherein the identifying the selected at least one of the keys and updating of the rendered video frame occurs within a time span of a single video frame. 
     
     
       27. The display device of  claim 26 , wherein identifying the selected at least one of the keys comprises identifying the location of the selected at least one of the keys by a touch sensor. 
     
     
       28. A touch-sensitive display device for indicating a selected key on a displayed keyboard, the displayed keyboard having a keyboard layout and comprising a plurality of keys, the touch-sensitive display device comprising:
 a display unit configured to display the keyboard; 
 a touch sensor configured to detect, in response to selection of at least one of the keys on the displayed keyboard, a location of the selected at least one of the keys; 
 a processor; and 
 a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform: 
 receiving the location of the selected at least one of the keys from the touch sensor; 
 identifying the selected at least one of the keys based on the location of the selected at least one of the keys; 
 updating a rendered video frame with a stored image of the selected key to generate an updated video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys, the stored image of the selected key corresponding to the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 while another video frame indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys is being rendered, outputting the updated video frame to the display unit for displaying of the updated video frame, 
 wherein the updating the rendered video frame is performed utilizing a keyboard template and a keyboard mask indicating the selection of the at least one of the keys; 
 identifying a keyboard template corresponding to the keyboard before identifying the selected at least one of the keys; and 
 displaying the another video frame by the display device after a set time has passed wherein upon passing the set time the keyboard mask change back to original state. 
 
     
     
       29. The display device of  claim 28 , wherein the executed instructions further cause the processor to perform receiving the rendered video frame from a graphics processor external to the display device.